e compelling Reinsdorf and Krause not to trade him, though they expected his unhappiness. Once they kept Pippen, they had to take the next step and sign Rodman, despite sensing his decline, because Jordan and Jackson valued his toughness. A key big man from the '97 playoffs, Brian Williams, was lost because of the cap.As the Bulls limp toward January, Pippen still is sidelined because of foot surgery, and he demands to be traded. Rodman plays lethargically. Jackson's zen is on the blink. Only Jordan, averaging a league-leading 26.8 points, stands between the club and humiliation.In business, as with the Bulls, he has the power to be who he is, to call his shots, to control his image. A bold display of Jordan's power occurred this year when two companies he represents, Nike and Oakley, collided over use of his image. Jordan has been with Nike since 1984; he earns $15 million to $20 million a year from the $9 billion behemoth. He has been with Oakley since 1995; he earns about $500,000 a year plus stock equity from the $220 million upstart.An Oakley print ad featured Jordan wearing Oakley sunglasses as well as an Oakley beret. Nike sued Oakley, claiming its contract with Jordan requires he wear Nike apparel in all of his ads. Jordan says he wore the Oakley beret because he believed at the time his deal with Nike encompassed only athletic equipment...
